第372章 LETTER CCLIX

BLACKHEATH,September 1,1763

MY DEAR FRIEND:Great news!The King sent for Mr.Pitt last Saturday,and the conference lasted a full hour;on the Monday following another conference,which lasted much longer;and yesterday a third,longer ,than either.You take for granted,that the treaty was concluded and ratified;no such matter,for this last conference broke it entirely off;and Mr.Pitt and Lord Temple went yesterday evening to their respective country houses.Would you know what it broke off upon,you must ask the newsmongers,and the coffee-houses;who,I dare say,know it all very minutely;but I,who am not apt to know anything that I do not know,honestly and humbly confess,that I cannot tell you;probably one party asked too much,and the other would grant too little.However,the King's dignity was not,in my mind,much consulted by their making him sole plenipotentiary of a treaty,which they were not in all events determined to conclude.It ought surely to have been begun by some inferior agent,and his Majesty should only have appeared in rejecting or ratifying it.Louis XIV.never sat down before a town in person,that was not sure to be taken.

However,'ce qui est differe n'est pas perdu';for this matter must be taken up again,and concluded before the meeting of the parliament,and probably upon more disadvantageous terms to the present Ministers,who have tacitly admitted,by this negotiation,what their enemies have loudly proclaimed,that they are not able to carry on affairs.So much 'de re politica'.

I have at last done the best office that can be done to most married people;that is,I have fixed the separation between my brother and his wife;and the definitive treaty of peace will be proclaimed in about a fortnight;for the only solid and lasting peace,between a man and his wife,is,doubtless,a separation.God bless you!